1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device provided in a driver""s room of a vehicle such as a construction machine to display the conditions of respective parts of the vehicle and an abnormality such as a failure generated in the vehicle and more particularly to a display controller for the display device for controlling the contents of the display of the display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a display device for displaying the state of a construction machine such as cooling water and an abnormality such as a failure including the deterioration of oil pressure of an engine is provided in the driver""s room of the construction machine. This display device is called a monitor panel.
The display screens of a conventional monitor panel are illustrated in FIGS. 1(a), 1(b) and 1(c).
FIGS. 1(a), 1(b) and 1(c) show monitor screens 11, 12 and 13 for monitoring and displaying the operating states of a construction machine.
On the monitor panel, prescribed positions (i.e., graphic buttons) of the monitor display screens 11, 12, and 13 are touched so that the states of the display screens can be shifted to other states.
Specifically, when an engine key is switched on to turn on power, the display screen of the monitor panel is shifted to a monitor display screen (or simply xe2x80x9cmonitor displayxe2x80x9d) shown in FIG. 1(a) via an initial screen.
The states of respective parts such as the amount of remaining fuel of an engine of the construction machine, the temperature of hydraulic oil of a working machine, the temperature of coolant of the engine, the oil pressure of the engine, etc. are detected by sensors provided in the respective parts of the construction machine. A signal detected by each sensor is inputted to the monitor panel. Then, on the monitor panel, the current state of the construction machine is displayed on the monitor display screen on the basis of the signals detected by the sensors.
As shown in FIG. 1(a), on the monitor display screen 11 are provided a display part 11a for displaying the amount of currently remaining fuel, a display part 11b for displaying the current temperature of the hydraulic oil of the working machine, a display part 11c for displaying the current temperature of the coolant of the engine, a display part 11d for displaying the current oil pressure of the engine, etc. An operator visually recognizes the display parts 11a to 11d of the monitor display screen 11 so that the operator can recognize the conditions of the respective parts of the construction machine.
When a button 11e on the monitor display screen 11 is operated, the monitor display screen 11 is shifted to a next monitor display screen 12 shown in FIG. 1(b). Further, when a button 12e on the monitor display screen 12 is operated, the monitor display screen 12 is shifted to a next monitor display screen 13 shown in FIG. 1(c). Further, when a button 13e on the monitor display screen 13 is operated, the monitor display screen 13 is returned to the first monitor screen 11 shown in FIG. 1(a). If the same operations are carried out after that, the same transitions will be repeated. As described above, the monitor display screens are sequentially and cyclically shifted from 11 and 12 to 13, so that all the states of the construction machine can be recognized.
When the detected value of each sensor provided in each part of the construction machine reaches an abnormal value, an error code corresponding to the abnormality is generated in a controller in the vehicle and the display screen of the monitor panel is automatically shifted to a trouble display screen (or simply xe2x80x9ctrouble displayxe2x80x9d) for displaying a trouble such as a failure from the monitor display screen shown in FIGS. 1(a), 1(b), and 1(c).
For instance, when a trouble or problem such as a failure is generated in a pump controller during the display of the monitor display screen 11 shown in FIG. 1(a) on the monitor panel, the monitor display screen 11 is shifted to a trouble display screen 21 shown in FIG. 2(a). In the trouble display screen 21, a trouble showing the contents of xe2x80x9cProblem pump controllerxe2x80x9d is displayed. The operator visually recognizes the trouble display of the trouble display screen 21 so that the operator can recognize the trouble generated in the construction machine.
The monitor display screen 11 shown in FIG. 1(a) and the trouble display screen 21 shown in FIG. 2(a) are alternately displayed at prescribed intervals, for example, at intervals of 5 seconds. Thus, while the operator recognizes the contents of the trouble generated in the construction machine, he can continuously perform the operation of the construction machine.
In the construction machine, a plurality of problems or troubles may be possibly generated at the same time. For instance, three kinds of troubles may be generated. If three kinds of troubles (called them a first trouble, a second trouble and a third trouble, hereinafter) are generated while the monitor display screen 11 shown in FIG. 1(a) is displayed on the monitor panel, the monitor display screen 11, the first trouble display screen 21 on which the first trouble is displayed, a second trouble display screen 22 on which the second trouble is displayed and a third trouble display screen 23 on which the third trouble is displayed will be cyclically displayed as shown in FIG. 4. In other words, the monitor display screen 11, the first trouble display screen 21, the second trouble display screen 22 and the third trouble display screen 23 are displayed at intervals of, for instance, 5 seconds.
As described above, when a trouble is generated in the construction machine, the monitor display screen 11 and the trouble display screen 21 are alternately displayed, or the monitor display screen 11 and the trouble display screens 21, 22 and 23 are cyclically displayed. Therefore, the operator needs to recognize the contents of the display of the trouble display screen 21 in a short time (for instance, 5 seconds) Accordingly, the operator cannot sufficiently recognize the contents of the display of the trouble display screen 21.
Further, the operator may, sometimes, have a desire to completely recognize not the trouble display screen 11, but the monitor display screen 11. Still further, the operator may have a desire to sufficiently recognize not the display screen which is currently displayed, but a display screen which will be displayed or the display screen which has been already displayed.
Still further, even when a trouble is generated, the operator of the construction machine needs to continuously operate and manipulate the construction machine by paying his attention to the trouble.
However, since the monitor screen 11 and the trouble display screen 21 are alternately displayed, or the monitor display screen 11, and the trouble display screens 21, 22 and 23 are cyclically displayed, the operator can, undesirably, continuously and visually recognize the contents of the display of the monitor display screen 11 only for a short time (for instance, 5 seconds). Further, when a plurality of trouble display screens are displayed, the monitor display screen 11 cannot be visually recognized for a long time when the trouble display screens 21, 22 and 23 are displayed. Therefore, the state of the construction machine cannot be completely grasped so that there exists a fear that a trouble may arise in operating and manipulating the construction machine.
Further, when the plural monitor display screens are sequentially displayed, the operator may have, sometimes a desire to return the display screen to a specific monitor display screen to completely recognize the operating state of the vehicle which he specially wants to know.
Still further, the operator may have, sometimes, a desire to return the display screen not to the monitor display screen, but to the trouble display screen so as to completely recognize the contents of the trouble of the vehicle.
The present invention was proposed by taking the above-described circumstances into consideration and it is a first object of the present invention to provide a display controller for a display device of a vehicle in which the contents of a specific display screen can be completely grasped even when a trouble is generated in the vehicle of a construction machine and a monitor display screen and a trouble display screen are sequentially displayed or a plurality of monitor display screens are sequentially displayed so that one display screen is displayed only for a short period.
It is a second object of the present invention to provide a display controller for a display device of a vehicle in which, a display screen can be returned to one monitor display screen to sufficiently recognize the operating state of the vehicle even when a trouble is generated in the vehicle of a construction machine or the like and a monitor display screen and a trouble display screen are sequentially displayed or a plurality of monitor display screens are sequentially displayed so that one monitor screen is displayed only for a short period, and a display screen can be returned to one trouble display screen to sufficiently grasp the contents of the trouble of the vehicle even when a trouble is generated in the vehicle of the construction machine or the like and the monitor display screen and the trouble display screen are sequentially displayed so that one trouble display screen is displayed only for a short period.
Thus, in order to achieve the first object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display controller for a display device of a vehicle having the display device for displaying a display screen provided in the vehicle to control the contents of the display of the display device so that a plurality of display screens are sequentially displayed, the display controller displaying a button on the display for fixing the display screen of the display device to a specific display screen so that the contents of the display are controlled to fix the display screen of the display device to the specific display screen in accordance with the operation of the button.
Now, the present invention according to the first aspect will be described below by referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the display screen of a display device is shifted from a monitor display screen 11 shown in FIG. 1(a) to a trouble display screen 21 shown in FIG. 2(a), if a button 21f on the trouble display screen 21 is operated, the display screen will be fixed to the trouble display screen 21 for a prescribed time (for instance, 2 minutes). Further, the display screen may be kept fixed to a trouble display screen 21xe2x80x2 until a release or restart button 21h on the trouble display screen 21xe2x80x2 shown in FIG. 2(b) is operated. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, when the monitor display screen 11 and trouble display screens 21, 22 and 23 are cyclically displayed, if the button 21f on the specific trouble display screen shown in FIG. 2(a) is operated, the display screen will be fixed to the specific trouble display screen 21 for a prescribed time (for instance, 2 minutes). Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the display screen may be kept fixed to the trouble display screen 21xe2x80x2 until the release or restart button 21h on the trouble display screen 21xe2x80x2 is operated.
Still further, when the trouble display screen 21 is currently displayed as shown in FIG. 4, a button on the trouble display screen 21 which is currently displayed is operated so that the trouble display screen 21 may be shifted to the trouble display screen 22 or 23 which will be displayed to fix the display screen to the trouble display screen 22 or 23. Further, when the trouble display screen 23 is presently displayed in FIG. 4, a button on the trouble display screen 23 which is presently displayed is operated so that the trouble display screen 23 may be shifted to the trouble display screen 22 or 21 which has been already displayed to fix the display screen to the trouble display screen 22 or 21.
The display screen may be fixed not to the trouble display screen but to the monitor display screen 11.
When the monitor display screen 11 is currently displayed in FIG. 4, a button on the monitor display screen 11 which is currently displayed is operated so that the display screen may be fixed to the monitor display screen 11 which is currently displayed. Further, when the trouble display screen 23 is currently displayed in FIG. 4, the button on the trouble display screen 23 which is displayed at present is operated so that the display screen may be shifted to the monitor display screen 11 which will be displayed in future and fixed to the monitor display screen 11. When the trouble display screen 21 is currently displayed in FIG. 4, the button on the trouble display screen 21 which is displayed at present is operated so that the display screen may be shifted to the monitor display screen 11 which has been already displayed and fixed to the monitor display screen 11.
Further, when the monitor display screen 11 is currently displayed in FIGS. 1(a), 1(b) and 1(c), the button on the monitor display screen 11 which is currently displayed is operated so that the display screen may be fixed to the monitor display screen 11 which is currently displayed. Further, when the monitor display screen 11 is currently displayed in FIGS. 1(a), 1(b) and 1(c), the button on the monitor display screen 11 which is displayed at present is operated so that the display screen may be shifted to a monitor display screen 12 which will be displayed in future and fixed to the monitor display screen 12. Further, when the monitor display screen 11 is currently displayed in FIGS. 1(a), 1(b) and 1(c), the button on the monitor display screen 11 which is displayed at present is operated so that the display screen may be shifted to a monitor display screen 13 which has been already displayed and fixed to the monitor display screen 13.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the display screen is fixed to the display of the specific display screen, the operator can completely and sufficiently recognize the contents of the display of the specific display screen.
In order to achieve the first object, according to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display controller for a display device of a vehicle having the display device provided in the vehicle to display a monitor display screen for displaying the states of the respective parts of the vehicle and a trouble generated in the vehicle so that the contents of the display of the display device are controlled to cyclically display a plurality of kinds of troubles on the monitor display screen, when the plural troubles are generated in the vehicle, the display controller comprising a button for fixing the trouble display of the monitor display screen, wherein the contents of the display of the display device are controlled so that the trouble display of the monitor display screen is fixed to a trouble display which is currently displayed in accordance with the operation of the button.
The present invention according to the second aspect will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 5.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 5, when the trouble display screens 21, 22 and 23 are cyclically displayed on a part of the monitor display screen 11, if the button 21f on the trouble display screen 21 shown in FIG. 2(a) is operated, the display screen will be fixed to the specific trouble display screen 21 for a prescribed time (for instance, two minutes). Further, the display screen may be kept fixed to the trouble display screen 21xe2x80x2 until the release or restart button 21h on the trouble display screen 21xe2x80x2 shown in FIG. 2(b) is operated.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the contents of the display of a part on the monitor display screen 11 are fixed to the specific trouble display screen 21, the operator can completely recognize the contents of the display of the specific trouble display screen 21.
In order to achieve the second object, according to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display controller for a display device of a vehicle having the display device for displaying a display screen provided in the vehicle to control the contents of the display of the display device so that a plurality of display screens are sequentially displayed, the display controller comprising a button for returning the display screen of the display device to a specific display screen so that the contents of the display are controlled to return the display screen of the display device to the specific display screen in accordance with the operation of the button.
Now, the present invention according to the third aspect will be described below by referring FIGS. 2, 8 and 9.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 9, when the monitor display screen 11 and the trouble display screens 21, 22 and 23 are cyclically displayed, if a button 21g on the trouble display screen 21 shown in FIG. 2(a) is operated, the display screen of the display device will be returned to the monitor display screen 11 from the trouble display screen 21 and the monitor display screen 11 is displayed for a prescribed time (for instance, five minutes). Further, a button 21e on the trouble display screen 21xe2x80x2 shown in FIG. 2(b) is operated so that the display screen may be kept returned to the monitor display screen 11.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 8, when the monitor display screen 11 and the trouble display screen 21 are alternately displayed, if the button 21g on the trouble display screen 21 shown in FIG. 2(a) is operated, the display screen of the display device will be returned to the monitor display screen 11 from the trouble display screen 21 and the monitor display screen 11 is displayed for a prescribed time (for instance, 5 minutes). Further, the button 21e on the trouble display screen 21xe2x80x2 shown in FIG. 2(b) is operated so that the display screen may be kept returned to the monitor display screen 11.
Further, the display screen may not be returned to the monitor display screen from the trouble display screen, and may be returned to other monitor screen from the monitor display screen.
Specifically described, when the monitor display screen 12 is currently displayed, in FIGS. 1(a), 1(b) and 1(c), a button on the monitor display screen 12 which is displayed at present is operated so that the display of the monitor display screen 12 may be returned to that of the monitor display screen 11. Further, when the monitor display screen 13 is currently displayed in FIGS. 1(a), 1(b) and 1(c), a button on the monitor display screen 13 which is presently displayed is operated so that the display of the monitor display screen 13 may be returned to that of the monitor display screen 11.
The display screen may be returned not to the monitor display screen, but to the trouble display screen.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, even when the trouble is generated in the vehicle of the construction machine or the like, the monitor display screen and the trouble display screens are sequentially displayed or a plurality of monitored is play screens are sequentially displayed so that one monitor display screen is displayed only for a short period, the display screen is returned to the above-described one monitor display screen. Thus, the operating state of the vehicle can be sufficiently recognized. Furthermore, even when the trouble is generated in the vehicle of the construction machine or the like, the monitor display screen and the trouble display screens are sequentially displayed so that one trouble display screen is displayed only for a short period, the display screen is returned to the above-described one trouble display screen. Therefore, the contents of the trouble of the vehicle can be completely recognized.
In order to attain the second object, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display controller for a display device of a vehicle having the display device provided in the vehicle to display a monitor display screen for displaying the states of the respective parts of the vehicle and trouble display screens for displaying troubles generated in the vehicle so that the contents of the display of the display device are controlled to cyclically display on the display device the monitor display screen and a plurality of kinds of trouble display screens, when the plural troubles are generated in the vehicle, wherein the contents of the display of the display device are controlled so that the monitor display screen is displayed in arbitrary parts of the displaying intervals of a plurality of kinds of trouble display screens.
The present invention according to the fourth aspect will be described below with reference to FIGS. 4 and 10.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when the monitor display screen 11 and the trouble display screens 21, 22 and 23 are cyclically displayed as shown in FIG. 4, the display of the display device is controlled so that the monitor display screen 11 is displayed on the way of each interval (designated by an arrow mark C and an arrow mark D) for displaying these plural trouble display screens 21, 22 and 23. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, not only the monitor display screen 11 is displayed between the trouble display screen 23 and the trouble display screen 21, but also the monitor display screen 11 is displayed between the trouble display screen 21 and the trouble display screen 22 and the monitor display screen 11 is displayed between the trouble display screen 22 and the trouble display screen 23.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the number of times of chances of displaying the monitor display screens 11 is increased, and accordingly, even when the trouble is generated in the vehicle of the construction machine or the like, the state of the vehicle can be completely recognized.